Rooster Cogburn, I presume?

The 18th was my birthday. I don’t usually celebrate such.  In many years past, I put a pig in the ground and invited many friends to enjoy. Did that last year and it was a heck of a party.  This year, it was just Patty, my son John, and I, and we celebrated quietly.

We only had one rooster, he was not quite six months old, and about as noisy a bird as I can recall.  He went out quietly, and we stuffed him with Patty’s fine oyster dressing.  Along with mashed potatoes and gravy, and fresh corn on the cob, it was a hell of a dinner.

I slow smoked Mr. Cogburn over apple wood chips in the Weber, put the corn in the last ten minutes or so, and all I can say is, Whooooeeeee.  No room for desert.

As always, read good books and stay regular.

A Most Profound Offering

It's has been a pretty good week for this old manipulator of words and phrases.  I’ve written two new short stories and sent them out to potential publishers, sent out several other stories that have been sitting too long without the benefit of a good washing down in printer’s ink, and queried agents and publishers on a couple of my novels. 

And, it’s been a fair year around the old J bar P Ranchette as well.  My book “Out of the West, Tales of the American Frontier” is available from your favorite book seller, I’ve had two short stories accepted for publication in two anthologies, and in October, The Storyteller Magazine is set to publish another short story.

I’m working hard to create a character I call Simon Sol Dorsey, a 1930s style private detective stuck in the 21st Century.  The stories are crime-mystery-noir, and I’m also putting together a novel length story based on his character.  He’s a gem.  Just for fun’s sake, here is a brief excerpt from the novel, currently titled “Blood of Many Nations.”

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            “Die, you son of a bitch, die,” and the big man slammed the cleaver down, again and again, parts and pieces were spattered all over the kitchen, and the strong, muscular man finally wore himself out, sat down at what was left of his kitchen table, smiled to himself, and poured another cup of coffee.  “I hate telephones.”  His was now in a couple of hundred pieces, scattered all around him, but still ringing.  His booze fogged brain slowly told him it was his cell phone ringing.  “I’ll kill it too, if I knew where it was.”  Sunday mornings are hard on Simon Sol Dorsey, Private Detective.

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Hope your summer is going smoothly, and as always, read good books and stay regular.

Happy Independence Day

With the rise of the Tea Party, conservatism has taken another step in the right direction.  More emphasis on fiscal responsibility, more thought as to what the Constitution and all its attendant amendments represent, and recognition of the importance of local government.  With those thoughts driving a large portion of the conservative movement, and coupled with the social section of the republican party, it is a distinct possibility that the White House will have new tenants in January 2013.

It would certainly be interesting to be able to stand next to a few of those that wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and engage them in a debate based on their concept of the good old USA, and our concept of it.  The Industrial Revolution had not begun when Mr. Washington took office and the arguments that were discussed had to do with how big and strong or not the federal government would be.

In other words, we would be debating the same issues; those from the 1780s being the same as these in the early 21st Century.  The Federalists then, the Liberals today.  They are from the same mold, and their arguments haven’t changed.  The answer, they say, to just about any question asked is, more government, more government spending, don’t look back, just spend, grow, spend, grow.

There may come a time when those in Washington actually remember they are supposed to represent the people in their district, may stop giving the illusion of being owned by special interests, and may take personal responsibility for their actions.  That will be followed by an open season on flying pigs.

Until that time, have a grand Fourth of July, raise a toast to those brave souls that put their lives on the line to create this beautiful nation, and vote.  As always, read good books and stay regular.